"app cannot be downloaded at this time" PLEASE HELP

[obz476]

Greetings,
I'm having issues updating apps on my iPad2. I'm in Africa working on my Masters thesis and have been unable to update my apps that require updating. I'm at a place where I'm connected to wifi and I have plenty of memory to update. However, I do not have my computer to sync up with, having only brought my iPad for convenience sake. I've tried many fixes I've read online. I've: reset, hard reset, sign-out of my itunes account and signed back in, signed out and reset/hard reset and signed back in, I have no downloads pending in my iTunes. This first time this issue began was when I tried updating all when getting to my first wifi connection after close to a month without one. I had 30 apps waiting to be updated. Now they are all stuck in a shaded mode with the update bar empty. When I click on them they say waiting and then a few seconds later a window pops up and says "AppName (PDF Reader Pro for example) cannot be downloaded at this time" and asks me to select 'retry' or 'done', When I select retry, the same thing happens. when i select done, the app returns to the shaded out stage with the bar empty. I would greatly appreciate some assistance, as I'm writing my thesis right now and rely on several of the apps that are stuck like this. Also, I am able to download new apps and have deleted a few apps that I already had and downloaded them. However, I am afraid to do so with certain ones, such as PDF Reader Pro, as it costs 10$ and I have a lot of data stored within it that I cannot afford to lose. Any help is welcome. Thanks. Obz476

 

[Mickey330]

Hi. I am bumping this thread for you. Which is what we prefer versus making a new post. Given that more than 48 hours has passed with no response, it would have been fine to "bump" this post on your own. What we do ask is that you don't make another thread as that will fragment the conversation and confuse those following along. So - I deleted the thread you started today on the same topic...

Unfortunately, my only advice would be to do a restart or a reset of the iPad - but you've already tried that. One thing - after the reset (Hold both the power and home buttons until the screen goes dark and the Apple logo then appears (the slide to unlock screen may or may not appear) - do the apps still show as waiting or are they as normal? Because I'm wondering if you can just try to download your updates by onsies and twosies instead of all.

That's really all I've got. Sorry. Hopefully, someone will see your post and be able to chime in with help.

Marilyn

 

[obz476]

Thanks for the advice and the response. I've tried the reset and the apps all still show waiting or are just shaded with the name of the app below the empty update bar. Then I click on it, and within about 20 seconds it tells me to that it cannot be downloaded at this time, then prompts me to choose retry or done, neither of which work. Appreciate the help. Hopefully someone can help as I'm really in need of PDF reader app. I have a lot of data in it that I need to access while im writing my thesis.
Cheers

 

[hpulmer]

Thanks for the advice and the response. I've tried the reset and the apps all still show waiting or are just shaded with the name of the app below the empty update bar. Then I click on it, and within about 20 seconds it tells me to that it cannot be downloaded at this time, then prompts me to choose retry or done, neither of which work. Appreciate the help. Hopefully someone can help as I'm really in need of PDF reader app. I have a lot of data in it that I need to access while im writing my thesis.
Cheers

Try following:

1. Force-close the App-store (double hit home, tap and hold the icon in the dock until it twiggles and the minus appears, than tap the minus).
2. Repeat the hard reset by holding power & home button until the Apple appears again.
3. Open the App-store and hit the "updates" - update for the moment only the essential ones (as I understand you have no stable/ limited Internet connection)

This is just an idea - but who knows, it might even work

☠ stay safe ☠ stay legal ☠

 

[obz476]

Try following:

1. Force-close the App-store (double hit home, tap and hold the icon in the dock until it twiggles and the minus appears, than tap the minus).
2. Repeat the hard reset by holding power & home button until the Apple appears again.
3. Open the App-store and hit the "updates" - update for the moment only the essential ones (as I understand you have no stable/ limited Internet connection)

This is just an idea - but who knows, it might even work

☠ stay safe ☠ stay legal ☠

Hpulmer,
Thanks for the response and fix, but unfortunately that did not work either. After force closing the app store and hard reseting I opened the app store, but am actually unable to individually update any of my updates. When I click on the individual update button, nothing happens. It merely gets dark when my finger presses it and lightens back to its original form when my finger releases. When I hit the update all button, it depresses and greys out, and then the app store closes to the homescreen like it wants to update, but then nothing updates. Thanks again for the response.

Cheers

 

[Semel]

Go settings,store.Select your apple id then sign out.Restart ipad,sign back in and try again

 

[obz476]

Hi Semel, thanks for the response. I tried that several times over the last couple weeks but with no luck. Thanks though for the help

 

[Semel]

Have you tried updating over 3g and not wifi?

 

[obz476]

Have you tried updating over 3g and not wifi?

I have not. I do have a 3G capable iPad, but have it through AT&T, who unfortunately do not offer any international plan for South Africa, where I'm at for the summer. So I temporarily suspended my 3G service for my iPhone and iPad for the summer and it won't get turned back on until mid August. If I was to turn it on now, it would cost a ton to use the cellular data. The wierd thing is I'm able to update apps that have recently been added to the list since I first tried. The only ones that are stuck are the ones I tried updating a few weeks ago. Since then, when a new update comes out, it downloads for me, as does new apps I purchace. Just those few are stuck.

Cheers

 

[scifan57]

Have you tried deleting the stuck apps,then re-downloading them?
If that doesn't work try a hard restart.Hold the home button and the power button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.Wait until the iPad restarts.

 

[obz476]

Have you tried deleting the stuck apps,then re-downloading them?
If that doesn't work try a hard restart.Hold the home button and the power button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.Wait until the iPad restarts.

I've tried the hard reset several times with no luck.

I am weary of deleting and redownloading certain apps, such as my PDF Reader Pro. It cost 10$ and more importantly, I have over 100 pdfs in it with over a year's worth of notes and other information I cannot afford to lose. When you delete it an app, it says all of its content will also be deleted. I don't want that to happen.

Thanks

 

[Mickey330]

Disclaimer: I'm just tossing stuff out here, now - seeing if anything sticks...

When you go to the App Store (you can, right?), and you're in your updates tab, write down all the apps that are there for updates. Then, go back to the iPad and, starting from the TOP of the list (cause the first one will be the one that's downloaded first), see if you can pause each app, one-by-one. The way it's supposed to work is that once you touch as app, it should say "paused" and that should make the next start up. So, you will have to go down the list and see if you can pause each one.

Or...

Can you delete the apps that are waiting for update. Not the important one with your notes (PDF Read Pro) but any of the other ones? If you can delete them, then restart/reset the iPad, maybe that'll help "kickstart" the download process.

Or...

Can you get into the PDF Reader Pro app at all? Cause there are ways to get those PDFs to another computer IF you can get the app open...

Or...

You said you don't have any downloads in iTunes, right? No podcasts, movies, etc? Cause I've read on the 'Net that these files take precedence over upgrades and can hang the whole process until they are done, stopped or deleted.

The best solution, of course, is to connect your iPad to its iTunes and make iTunes do the upgrade work, then you can sync with the iPad. Of course, that's not an option for you. I know that's obvious but that's why we are having such trouble with this. You don't have your computer with.

So, off to do some more reading on the 'Net. Hopefully, someone will stumble on a solution...

Marilyn

 

[therealriley]

I had exactly the same issue, I had to delete the apps first then download them, it was the only fix that worked.
1) first of all try to download the updates individually, some should work. Chances are if like mine I had one or two apps that was causing it once these were deleted and redownloaded everything was sorted.
2) you can delete your app then go to iTunes on your iPad, goto purchases where you can download it again, you will see the download box is different if you have already had it with that apple ID. Try it with a free app first to test, chances are after doing a few free apps like mine did, it should sort itself out. Tried and tested working fix. Good luck.

 

[obz476]

Disclaimer: I'm just tossing stuff out here, now - seeing if anything sticks...

When you go to the App Store (you can, right?), and you're in your updates tab, write down all the apps that are there for updates. Then, go back to the iPad and, starting from the TOP of the list (cause the first one will be the one that's downloaded first), see if you can pause each app, one-by-one. The way it's supposed to work is that once you touch as app, it should say "paused" and that should make the next start up. So, you will have to go down the list and see if you can pause each one.

Or...

Can you delete the apps that are waiting for update. Not the important one with your notes (PDF Read Pro) but any of the other ones? If you can delete them, then restart/reset the iPad, maybe that'll help "kickstart" the download process.

Or...

Can you get into the PDF Reader Pro app at all? Cause there are ways to get those PDFs to another computer IF you can get the app open...

Or...

You said you don't have any downloads in iTunes, right? No podcasts, movies, etc? Cause I've read on the 'Net that these files take precedence over upgrades and can hang the whole process until they are done, stopped or deleted.

The best solution, of course, is to connect your iPad to its iTunes and make iTunes do the upgrade work, then you can sync with the iPad. Of course, that's not an option for you. I know that's obvious but that's why we are having such trouble with this. You don't have your computer with.

So, off to do some more reading on the 'Net. Hopefully, someone will stumble on a solution...

Marilyn

Hi Marilyn

I am unable to pause any of the apps. When I touch the app it says waiting, then goes back to saying the name of the app and then the "cannot be downloaded at this time" prompt pops up.

I've deleted all of the apps waiting for download except the PDF reader, and then reset the iPad, but it was still stuck in the same state.

I am able to get into the PDF reader pro app, by opening a pdf in Safari and opening it with 'open with pdf reader pro' option. once in i can navigate the app like normal, but if i switch to another app, i have to repeat that process. its rather inconvient to do, but if thats the only way, i may bite the bullet and work with those few extra steps. Within the app, the only way I see to move the apps out is through email. It also has an iCloud folder. Do you know if I move the PDFs i need into that folder, would they be saved in the cloud to where I can delete and redownload the app later?

No other downloads, podcasts, movies, etc.. waiting and unfortunately, no access to my computer until mid august when I return to the states.

Thanks

 

[obz476]

Hello,
So I deleted all the apps that needed updating except for the PDF reader that I really need and then tried updating that, but with no luck.

To test the redownloading from the 'purchaced' section of the app store, i downloaded a free PDF reader and put a few pdfs in it, deleted it and redownloaded it. It redownloaded fine, but the files I had put in it were gone. So I don't want to attempt that as I need to save the files that are in my PDFReaderPro.